“A battle for positioning” - Joshua Pacio dissects Mansur Malachiev-Bokang Masunyane bout at ONE Fight Night 25

ONE strawweight MMA world champion Joshua Pacio will have his eye locked on the high-stakes scrap between Bokang Masunyane and Mansur Malachiev.

On Friday, October 4, ONE Championship returns to the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, for a showcase of talent headlined by a highly anticipated rematch between ONE lightweight kickboxing king Alexis Nicolas and ONE lightweight Muay Thai titleholder Regian Eersel.

Also on tap at ONE Fight Night 25 on Prime Video will be a potential ONE strawweight MMA world title eliminator as Masunyane and Malachiev collide with hopes of one day challenging for 26 pounds of ONE Championship gold.

Speaking with Sportskeeda MMA in an exclusive interview, Pacio is excited to see how things play out between two of the division's top stars.

“As the champion, I'll be watching this fight closely, especially since it features two top contenders in my division. On one side, there's Bokang, who has been pushing for a title shot for quite some time, constantly seeking his opportunity."

He added:

"On the other side is Mansur, eager to climb the ranks and prove himself. In this weight class, it's always a battle for positioning.”

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Revisiting Jarred Brooks vs. Joshua Pacio

Whether it's Bokang Masunyane or Mansur Malachiev who comes out on top at ONE Fight Night 25, they'll likely have to sit back and wait as Joshua Pacio settles some unfinished business with interim ONE strawweight MMA world champion Jarred Brooks.

Thus far, Brooks and Pacio have squared off on two separate occasions, the first come at ONE 164 in Manila. On that night, 'The Monkey God' came out on top following a dominant five-round performance. 15 months later, they would run it back in Qatar at ONE 166.

Tragically, the bout came to a crashing halt less than 60 seconds into the scrap after Brooks inadvertently spiked Pacio onto the top of his head, resulting in an immediate stoppage and disqualification.

With Pacio still sidelined due to an ACL injury, the promotion instituted an interim strawweight title which Brooks won decisively at ONE Fight Night 24 against Cuban standout Gustavo Balart. Now, Brooks is eagerly awaiting Pacio to heel up so the two can complete their trilogy before welcoming the division's next contender.

ONE Fight Night 25 will air live via Amazon Prime Video in the United States and Canada on Friday, October 4 in U.S. primetime.